Happy Hanukkah!

I looked up Hanukkah on Wiki, to see what I could learn. Lots of interesting info, images of menorahs, latkes and dreidels, but the little fact that got my attention was the role of the shamash, the candle that's used to light the 8 main candles of the menorah. Shamash means servant, or guard, in Hebrew. By using a shamash, the eight other candles can be dedicated to honoring Hanukkah only. I looked for more information on the shamash, and came upon instead information on Shamash the sun god and god of justice for ancient Assyrians and Babylonians. Hammurabi is said to have given Shamash, the child of the moon god, the credit for the code of laws he created. In reading about Shamash, I came upon Shapash, the Canaanites' version of Shamash, only female. Both were considered the torch of the gods, illuminating truths.

Rain came down today, clouds sealing off the sky, but the sun broke through for just a bit in the mid-afternoon, abruptly illuminating the raindrops dangling from leaves and clinging to the window glass into hundreds of diamonds, dazzling prisms, a joyful sight that lasted for a moment.